Improved railroad-switch



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. ZINN, OF CALDWELL, NEW JERSEY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 53,213, dated March 13, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN WV. ZINN, of Oaldwell, in the county ofEssex and State otl New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improved Railroad-Switch; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act descriptionotl the nature, construction, and operation ofthe same, sufficient to enable one skilled in the art to which it appertains to construct and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are made part of this specication, and in which- Figure l is a plan view. Figs. 2 and 3 are sections on the line x a; Fig. 1, the former showing the switch in connection with the main track and the latter in connection with the turnout.

The invention consists in the particular devices for operating the switch, which are a le ver to open it or make the connection with the turnout or siding, and a spring' to close it automatically'when the pressure upon the lever is withdrawn.

It is the purpose ot' the arrangement that the switch shall only be disconnected from the main track while the switehman is holding it andshall y back as soon as the pressure is withdrawn, so that unless actually and purposely held in connection with the turnout or siding rails, the mai-n track will remain intact and locked in position. The movement of the switch-lever unlocks and changes the switch by one motion, when the switch-tender takes his seat upon the switch -lever until the train has passed onto the turnout. When he risesthe switch is automatically restored to its former position in connection with the main track and locks itself. The switch cannot be accidentally moved from the main track or be left in connection with the turnout.

In the drawings, AAaretherails ot' the main track, and B B .the rails ot' the turnout or siding. The switch-rails O C are connected by a cross-bar, D, and pivoted at E E. F is a bar which moves horizontally in the bearing J when thelever His vibratcd, being connected thereto by the rod G, which is pivoted to them respectively. The bar F, being passed through the switch-rail and secured thereto, is made the means of its motion bythe lever H, and is also connected by the elastic band K to the pin L, which tends constantly to restore the switch-rail to the normal position shown in Figs. l and 2. N is a latch having aspring, O, below it, and on its upper edge and near the end is a depression in which rests the projection I) ofthe bar F when the main track is intact, the end ofthe latch N resting against the rail. As the bar F is moved the projection P passes down the latch N and unlocks the rail, and when the bar is restored the pro jection takes its former place in the latch N, the latter ilying up and locking the rail.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the lever H, lockingbar F, spring K, switch-rails O O, projection P, and spring-latch N, constructed and operating substantially as described and represented.

The above speciication of my invention signed this 18th day ot' January, 1866.

JOHN W. ZINN.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, J AMES-L. E-WIN. 

